Carroll Best (Soldier's Joy w/ Pat Cloud)
Personally recorded video from 1992 with melodic pioneer Carroll Best, accompanied by Pat Cloud. I can't recall the short piece that comes first, but Soldier's Joy comes right afterwards. That's Danny Johnson on guitar, he did some fine playing himself and played in Best's band for 20 years. Carroll Best, one of the first, if not the first (arguably) banjo player to play in the melodic style. Enjoy!
I think this quote by John Hartford sums it up nicely:
"Carroll is the earliest guy that I've ever known of that could play fiddle tunes on a banjo, note for note. He was one of the finest people I ever met. ... He was always giving with his music."
----Nashville recording artist John Hartford, who learned from Best.
For More Infomation on Carrol Best see:
mountaingrownmusic.org/carroll-best.html
cduniverse.com/search/xx/music...Banjo.htm (here you can listen to the beginnings of each song on the CD and there's a wide variety of material)
From the CD description/review:
Recorded between 1974 & 1995. Includes liner notes by Frank Godbey, Joe Wilson.
The title Say Old Man, Can You Play the Banjo? demands a response from the listener, and the answer is a resounding "yes" -- Carroll Best can play the banjo and play it well. But it isn't so much that he is proficient on the banjo; many musicians play Scrugg's style and claw-hammer banjo well. Best's style stands out because it is based on a lesser-known method of converting fiddle tunes to the banjo. This finger-style banjo, like finger-style guitar, consists of intricate single notes strung together, creating a rich melodic base. These recordings represent the best of Best, who recorded very little commercial music. The upbeat first cut, "Lonesome Road Blues," may strike the listener as bluegrass, but Best considered himself an old-time player. This makes sense when one listens to "Tom and Jerry" or "Whiskey Before Breakfast." The music is danceable and tuneful, but lacks the incessant drive of bluegrass. There is a nice, long version of "Angeline the Baker," a spunky take on "Chicken Reel," and a ragtime-flavored "Little Rock Getaway." Best is joined by a number of good musicians, including guitarist Danny Johnson who adds his exuberant flatpicking to the first six tracks. Most of the tunes are short, allowing an amazing number (36) to grace this album. Frank Godbey's liner notes offer a good description of Best's banjo style as well as interesting speculation about his influence on other players during the '50s and '60s. For Best fans, banjo fans, and lovers of old-time music, this CD will be a real find. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.